'DWTS' Pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy Drops Verdict On Anna Delvey's Dancing Prowess

Anna Delvey may think she can dance, but as far as Latin–ballroom dance champion Maksim Chmerkovskiy is concerned, she has no business on his stage.

The "Dancing With the Stars" alum weighed in on having the fake heiress join this year's competition, an opportunity he believes is wasted on her. The choreographer did not hold back, taking several shots at the former convict.

Anna Delvey's notoriety began after she was arrested for posing as a wealthy heiress to defraud banks, hotels, and the upper class in New York. Her debut on "DWTS" has been met with criticism, with Maksim Chmerkovskiy being the latest.

After a years-long career on "DWTS" as one of the show's professional dancers, it was unsurprising that Chmerkovskiy did not believe Delvey shouldn't be on the show. He aired his grievances on "The TMZ Podcast," describing the latter as a "sh-tty dancer."

Chmerkovskiy stressed that she had no place on the ballroom floor, noting that her standoffish vibe would earn her zero fans in the competition. He backed up his criticism with Delvey's shaky Cha Cha performance.

The professional dancer did not believe Delvey performed poorly because of her nerves, citing her past as a con artist. In Chmerkovskiy's words, if she had the confidence and self-control to defraud people, she could do the Cha Cha without problems.

Chmerkovskiy also had a bone to pick with producers for allowing a "professional liar" to compete while numerous talented individuals were overlooked. Although the ballroom expert wasn't Delvey's only critic, it did not stop her from persevering on the show.

Chmerkovskiy's comments about Delvey come at the heels of the latter's recent bizarre comment about the celebrity dancing competition. The Blast reported that she made a TikTok video with her dance partner, Ezra Sosa.

In the clip, Sosa gave Delvey a foot massage, with the latter noting she received the physical therapy because she had been "dancing so hard." However, the fake heiress shocked fans by adding, "I've been sentenced to 'Dancing With the Stars.'"

The play on words seemed to showcase Delvey's nonchalant attitude about her shady past. In April 2019, she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in prison for grand larceny and theft, plus a $24,000 fine and $199,000 in restitution.

After Delvey was released early on parole in 2021, the law slapped her with an ankle monitor and confined her to her residence. However, she got special permission to be in Los Angeles for the dance show.

The Blast shared that Delvey proudly rocked her ankle monitor during her "DWTS" debut, bedazzling the court-ordered device like a piece of jewelry. She flaunted the new look in an Instagram post with her dance partner.

Delvey and Sosa donned matching colorful outfits with fake heiress rocking a crop top, shorts, gold heels, and her bejeweled ankle monitor. While her dance partner used the post to plead for votes, his message did not resonate with some fans.

Delvey being allowed to compete despite her ankle monitor sparked multiple displeased comments from fans. One social media user lamented, "They even gave her ankle monitor a f—king costume? Are you for real?"

"Rewarding bad behavior is weird to me," another critic penned, with a third adding, "Rewarding someone on house arrest with 'DWTS' has to be the most bottom-of-the-barrel desperate thing the show has ever done."

The backlash against Delvey continued, with more slamming the platform she was given despite her crimes. "Glorifying a felon has become the norm in this country. Pathetic," someone noted.

Others sympathized with Sosa for getting paired with a con artist, with one social media user writing, "Poor Ezra, you deserve so much better." Despite the criticisms, the pair rocked the dance floor with their moves.

The ankle monitor did not slow Delvey or Soso down as they danced up a storm for their debut performance. The pair twirled and moved to the beat as confetti, matching their colorful outfits, rained down.

The show's Instagram page shared snippets from their performance, showing Delvey and Soso in sync as they did the Cha Cha. The post generated positive responses from stars like Tori Spelling, who chimed: "Blew me away! Brought it."

"So proud. You're incredible, Ezra," Jojo Siwa added. However, critics still made their voices heard, with many hoping Delvey would be disqualified as soon as possible.

Will Anna Delvey prove critics wrong and survive "Dancing With The Stars?"